Platen printing press



March 20, 1928.

P. WIEGHARDT PLATEN PRINTING PRESS Filed Dec. 51. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

Fig.1

PLATI-JN PRINTING PRESS Filed Dec. 31, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

PM W LQW Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

L I ABJ 10s .MAQ EB IR Gama 1 QR we rim FIRM F ED- KBUPP GRUSONWERK A KTIENGESELLSGHAET; 0F- MAGDEBURG'-BUCK;AU, GER- MANY.

PLATii rrtmrrne minss."

Application.fi1edDecember31, 1926, Serial No. 158,369, andinGermany January 6, 1926.

In the'press according to my- Patent'No. 1,628,816 there is an arrangement of r0tatable discs provided with axially" disposed interrupted flanges, rims or projections which, according to the position of discs, engage with and below members connectedto the printing plate and thus retain the printing plate in its raised or'inoperative position, or allow it to move downwards into the operative position; To each discis secured a ratchet wheel which is intermittently rotated by means of a pawl orthe' like. in order to rotate the discs intermittently and accordingto the number and circumferential extent or width of the flanges or projections on'thediscs, the printing mechanism can bet-hrownintoand out of operation in any desired sequence demamined by the printing pattern. It has'been found in the practical working of the platen printing press'accordi-ng tothe aforesaid patent that the output is so great that, in view oftherestricted marketflfor the products, it is inadvisable to print in oneworking shift only one particular 1 pattern or size of floor covering. For instance," in twelve revolutions per minute and with an advance of 0.5 in. at each revolutiom themachine supplies two fioorcoverin'gs ea'ch 3In; long, per minute, that is to sav about one hundred and twenty coveringsper? hour. The daily output of the machine would therefore amount to about nine 'hUIldYGd- -t0 one thousand coverings, a quantity :for "which there is ordinarilyno demand; It is therefore desirable to vary the size of the floor coveringsonce or several-times during o'ne' working shift so as to print coveringsof different lengths. For instance, first a'floor; covering having the pattern shown byzway of example in Figure 5 of the drawing .accompanying the specification of-the aforesaid patent is printed, that is tosay a covering with8 strips, namely: 1 strip A, 6 strips B,"1 strip C and afterwardsconsecutivelycoverings with altogether "7,16, 5 aud t strips (1 strip A, 1 strip C and!) or 4, 3, and 2 strips B).

For the purpose of varying the sequence of operations or printin'gsi'n the construction according to the aforesaid patent, it .is necessary to change the'aforesaidcontrolling discs and ratchet wheelsat one side. of; the printing press and'th'e co'ntrollingdiscs at the other side of thepressf This operation entails aconsiderabledoss of time, as a result of which the output "of the machine isi-educeda It is therefore the bjecp or are present-invention to avoid "this drawback. This is attained 'by the main actuating mechanism-that rotates the said controlling discs, cooperatiiig with anauxiliary,actuat ing or 'controllin'g mechanism which 'allows the foriner'to operate onl'y iir' given or pr determined positions" of the auxiliary n'iech 1ni S lniIlaCCO1ClanC with'the printings required for any particular size of covering.

In order that th'e invention may becl'eal' ly understood J and readily carried" into 'efiect the same will now bedescribed more fully with reference to the accompanying draw ings in which:

- Figure 1 illustrates in elevation one con; structi'on embodying- "the present" invention by wayof example. p Figure2I-isan axial sectional view.

' Figure 3 shows a portion offtheanecha nism i'llu'strated'in Figure 2, with one ofthe controlling dis-cs" in adifi'erent positionfrom that shown in Figure '1; I

In thefollowing description; the same reference' numerals are used todesignate those parts which correspond to similar parts or the construction according to the aforesaid patent. The crank or lever '22 whichis actuated by the rod 24, operates in addition to the main actuating' mechanism (constituted substantiallyi by a-pawl 23andthe ratchetwheel 21) the auxiliary actuating mechanism constituted substantiallyby a pawl 25 and a'ratchet wheel 26) both the said pawls being carried 'bythe said crank or lever 22. The ratchet wheel 26,hereinafter termedtheauxiliary ratchet wheel is arranged to rotate on theshaft 15, and in the example shown is mounted on or 'carried by== a brake disc 27, wliichis held between friction discs 28 and 29' non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 15. The friction disc 29 is axially movable on th8'Sh'af't 15; and

is under the influence of a spring such as v fifteen teeth, some of which marked 33, are deeply cut whilst others marked 34, are less deeply out. In the example illustrated, the diameter of the auxiliary ratchet wheel 26 is greater than that of the ratchet wheel 21. The base edges of the teeth 32 of the ratchet wheels 21 and the teeth 33 of the auxiliary ratchet wheel 26 are at the same distance from the common axis of rotation, whilst the distance of the base edges of the teeth 34 of the auxiliary ratchet wheel from the axis of rotation is greater than the radius of the outside circle of the main ratchet wheel 21. The main pawl 23 engaging with this ratchet wheel 21, and the auxiliary pawl 25 j engaging with the auxiliary ratchet wheel, are secured to a common pin 35 rotatably mounted in the crank or lever 22, and are so shaped that their engaging or operative edges are situated in the same straight line parallel to the central axis of the shaft 15. They coincide therefore in the axial direction as shown in Figure 1 in any position. This ensures that when the auxiliary pawl 25 en ages with one of the deeper cut teeth 33 of the auxiliary ratchet wheel 26, the main pawl 23 will be in the path of the teeth 32 of the main ratchet wheel 21 and therefore will be able to engage with them as shown in full lines in Figure 1. When the auxiliary pawl 25 engages the less deeply cut teeth 34c, the main pawl 23 will be outside the path of the teeth 32, (see chain dotted position in Figure 1), so that no further advance of the main ratchet wheel 21 can take place.

The controlling disc 16 in the example illustrated is provided with nine flanges or projections 18 andnine openings, so that at each advance of the main ratchet wheel 21 secured to the disc 16 the roller 20 (Figures 2 and 3) connected to the printing mechanism and co-operating with the projections 18, will be either held fast by a projection 18 orbe able to pass through one of the said openings. The teeth of the auxiliary ratchet wheel 26 are so distributed or arranged that the deeply cut teeth 33 are alternately followed by two' lessdeeply cut teeth or one less deeply cut tooth.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described :-In the position of the parts shown in Figures 1 and 2, the roller 20 can pass through one of the openings between the projections 18 as may be seen in Figure 2, so that the printing plate is free for printing. Both pawls 23 and 25 then engage with the corresponding ratchet wheels 21 or 26 as shown in full lines in Figure 1. During the return movement of the crank 22, the auxiliary pawl 25 will engage one of the less deeply cut teeth 34 so that during the subsequent advance stroke of the crank 22, only the auxiliary ratchet wheel 26 will be advanced, whilst the main ratchet wheel 21 remains stationary as the pawl 23 assumes the chain dotted position in Figure 1 and cannot engage with the teeth 32 of this main ratchet wheel. The controlling disc 16 therefore still continues to allow the roller 20 to move and operate the printing plate. The same applies to the next advance, as the auxiliary pawl 25 engages behind the next tooth The printing plate will therefore be free for printing three times in succession. During the next succeeding advance movement, the auxiliary pawl 25 will engage with a deeply cut tooth 33. Consequently the pawl 23 will move into the path of the teeth 32 of the corresponding ratchet wheel 21 and will advance the latter to the extent of one tooth.

Together with the ratchet wheel 21 will be also rotated the controlling disc 16 which now engages, by means of a projection 18, under the raised roller 20 (see Figure 3) and retains the printing mechanism against operation. Also during the next advance, the

said disc will remain in this position, as the auxiliary pawl 25 will again engage, during the return of the crank 22, with a less deeply cut tooth 34;, so that the main pawl 23 will not come into engagement with the teeth 32 of the main ratchet wheel 21. The next advance operation will however produce again a rotary or angular movement of the controlling disc 16 to the extent of one projection or division, so that the roller 20 will again be able to pass through the next open ing between the said projection 18 on the disc 16.

The operation described in the foregoing is continually repeated, so that when using the auxiliary ratchet wheel on which is based the construction given by way of example, there will be .three consecutive printing operations, and the printing mechanism will be inoperative twice in succession. Such an auxiliary ratchet wheel would be useful, for instance, for printing the inner pattern of a covering 2.5 m. long, if it is assumed that it is moved at each advance to the extent of 0.5 1n. If for instance it were desired to print the inner pattern of a covering 3 m. long, then for a feed on forward movement of 0.5 m. it'would be necessary to insert an auxiliary ratchet wheel provided with an arrangement of teeth as follows one deeply cut tooth, three less deeply cut teeth, one deeply cut tooth, one less deeply cut tooth, etc. The device therefore makes it possible to print any patterns required, simply as a result of changing the auxiliary ratchet wheel. The fitting and removal of the auxiliary ratchet wheel can be effected by tightening or loosening the nut 31 and putting on or withdrawing the parts 29 and 30, or by unscrewing the screw 33 that secures the ratchet wheel 26 (formed as a flat ring or annular disc), to the brake disc 2?. Owing to the auxiliary ratchet wheels be ng readily interchangeable a variation of the sequence of the printing operation can be quickly efiected, as all the parts of the main actuating or controlling mechanism can be left in the machine without the position thereof being changed. I r

In order to insure a reliable and accurate locking of the intermittently rotated disc 16 after each advance or forward movement it is desirable to provideon a fixed part of the machine, a roller 36 mounted in a re silient manner, and adapted to engage with recesses in the periphery of the said disc 16. The brake or friction means 2831 is in tended to avoid accidental or unrequired rotary movement of the auxiliary ratchet Wheel 26 for instance durin the idle stroke or movement of the pawl 25 The construction hereinbefore described in the foregoing is given merely by way of example. It is not necessary to mount the auxiliary pawl direct on the crank 22, or they auxiliary ratchet wheel 26 on the shaft of the ratchet wheel 21. The relative dimensions of the two ratchet wheels may be chosen as desired and the shape and arrange ment of the teeth of the ratchet wheels may be varied. It is essential for all constructions that the positive connection of the continually advanced auxiliary mechanism to the main mechanism positively connected to the disc 16, should exist only in given definite positions, and that when the sequence of the printing operations is altered, the main mechanism with the said disc 16 should be able to remain without modification on the machine, so that it is only necessary to change the auxiliary ratchet wheel 26.

lVhat I claim is: s

1. In a platen printing press having a reciprocating printing plate for printing materials fed through the press with variably composed patterns, a rotatable disk having an axially disposed interrupted flange, a stop member on said printing plate adapted to cooperate with said interrupted flange to hold said printing plate in inoperative position or to permit said printing plate to execute a printing stroke depending upon the angular position of said disk, means for rotating said disk, and auxiliary mechanism connected with said disk rotating means adapted to permitsaid disk rotating means to operate only at predetermined positions of said auxiliary mechanism.

2. In a platen printing press having a rcc-iprocating printing plate for printing materials fed through'the press with variably composed patterns, a rotatable disk having an axially disposed interrupted flange, a stop member on said printing plate adapted to cooperate with said interrupted flange to hold said printing plate in inoperative position or to permit said printing plate to execute a printing. stroke depending upon the angular position. of said disk, means for rotating Said disk comprising a ratchet wheel connected to said disk, a pawl'adapted toYcooperate with said ratchet wheel, and means said auxiliary mechanism comprising a pawl connected to said means for reciprocating said first mentioned pawl and adapted to be reciprocated thereby, and an auxiliary ratchet wheel adapted to cooperate with said second mentioned pawl, said auxiliary ratchet wheel having teeth out to different depths.

3. In a platen printing press having a reciprocating printing plate for printing materials fed through the press with variably composed patterns, a rotatable disk having an axially disposed interrupted flange, a stop member on said printing plate adapted to co operate with said interrupted flange to hold said printing plate in inoperative posit-ion or to permit said printing plate to execute a printing stroke depending. upon the angular position of said disk, a ratchet wheel connected with said disk, an auxiliary ratchet wheel. mounted coaxially'with said first mentioned ratchet wheel and rotatable independently thereof, said auxiliary ratchet wheel havingsome teeth less deeply out than others, reciprocating means, a pairof pawls mounted on said reciprocating means and adapted to cooperate with said ratchet wheels, and means connecting said pawls together adapted to hold the pawl cooperating with said first mentioned ratchet wheel in inoperative position when the other pawl engages said less deeply cut teeth, and in operative position when the other pawl engages said more deeply cut teeth.

l. A platen printing press according to claim 3 in which the bases of the teeth of said first mentioned ratchet wheel and of the more deeply cut teeth of said auxiliary ratchet wheel are at the same distance from the common axis of rotation of the two ratchet wheels, while the distance from the bases of the less deeply cut teeth to said common axis of rotation is greater than the greatest radius of said first mentioned ratchet wheel, said pawls being so connected that their engaging edges lie in the same straight line parallel. to said common axis of rotation.

5. In a platen printing press having a reciprocating printing plate for printing materials fed through the press with variably composed patterns, a shaft, a rotatable disk mounted on said shaft, an axially disposed interrupted flange on said disk, a stop member on said printing plate adapted to cooperate with said interrupted flange tohold said printing plate in inoperative position or to permit said printing plate to execute a printing stroke depending upon the angular position of said disk, a ratchet Wheel connected with said disk, reciprocating means, a pawl mounted on said reciprocating means and adapted to cooperate with said ratchet Wheel, an auxiliary ratchet Wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, and a second pawl mounted upon said reciprocating means and adapted to cooperate with said auxiliary ratchet Wheel, said auxiliary ratchet Wheel having teeth out to different depths.

6. In a platen printing press in accordance With claim 5, a pair of brake disks nonrotatably mounted upon said shaft on opposite sides of said auxiliary ratchet Wheel, one of said brake disks being axially shiftable upon said shaft, and resilient means urging said axially shiftable brake disk into engagement with said auxiliary ratchet Wheel.

In testimony whereof the foregoing specification is signed.

PAUL WI'E GHARDT'. 

